A Retriever in Exile
by SparkofLeaves
Summary: Finding himself in a time thousands of years ahead of the world he knew, a Pikachu tries to adapt to life under a Pokemon Trainer in the modern age.
1. Inside a Poke Ball

**A Retriever in Exile, Part I**

* * *

The best recognizable symbol of the bond between human and Pokemon is the Poke Ball.

An enigmatic yet widely used device, the Poke Ball is constructed with an outer shell of semi-rigid polymer. The top half is transparent red, while the bottom half is opaque white. The interior contains an eight-lens laser that, when focused on a Pokemon, transforms them into pure energy until deactivated.

As energy, the Pokemon is shrunken down to fit inside the capsule. Its aura will resonate with an energy crystal, which acts as a medium for the bond between the Pokemon and the trainer. This crystal also ensures that the Pokemon cannot be recaptured.

If a newly caught Pokemon is able to escape before the ball registers a capture, however, the crystal shatters, rendering the capsule useless. In recent models, the memory unit stores the auras of both the captive Pokemon and its trainer to prevent theft or misuse.

It is unknown why Poke Balls are immune to the effects of electromagnetic pulses or any form of electronic interference, or why they have no detrimental side effects on the Pokemon. Yet one thing remains certain, for no known reason: Regardless of ability, size, type, or free spirit, any Pokemon can live comfortably inside a Poke Ball.

And it was these capsules which two Pokemon found themselves flying out from, one fine sunny morning. One moment, the Pokemon were watching their surroundings through a thin fiberglass veil of red; the next moment, they were jettisoned out into reality towards each other, landing in the battle ring.

A Pokemon battle had begun.

"Lombre! Headbutt!" shouted the trainer at one end of the arena. Nodding, the Lombre at the trainer's side sprinted down the grass and sprang headfirst into the other trainer's Pikachu with a croak, knocking the rodent to the ground.

Wincing as his Pikachu hit the turf, 12-year-old Slicksten Silversky examined his opponent carefully- a triathelete in a blue jersey, shorts, running shoes, and shades. "Lightning, use thundershock!" ordered Slick.

Getting to his paws, Lightning (whose real name was Spark-Tail) stared hard at the Lombre, his paws clenched. Electricity flashed in his yellow-green eyes as twin bursts of golden sparks flashed from his red cheeks and struck his opponent, electrocuting the Lombre.

"Lombre, Water Gun!" ordered the triathelete. Grunting, the Lombre shook off the last of the sparks, crouched low, and spat a pressurized burst of water at Spark-Tail, stinging the Pikachu and sending him reeling back a few steps.

"Lightning, Shock Wave!" His drenched fur plastered to his skin, Spark-Tail pointed at Lombre with a paw and sent a jagged column of blue sparks slashing across the grass with a sharp "Pikapi!" The swift electric cyclone crackled loudly as it engulfed his opponent, drawing a yell from beneath the Lombre's lilypad hat.

"Lombre! Mega Drain!" Breathing hard, the Lombre got up and pointed a gnarled finger at Spark-Tail. The Pikachu gasped as green tendrils of energy shot from his chest and swirled into the Lombre, sinking to the ground, suddenly fatigued as if his blood was drawn.

"Lightning! Don't give in!" called Slick, his voice firm but supportive. "Secret Power!" Breathing hard, the Pikachu stumbled to his feet and glanced back up at his trainer, then stared at the Lombre.

"Wait, you're a member of the Secret Power Society?" asked the triathelete, lifting an eyebrow at Slick, but giving his opponent a friendly grin. "Nice. My neighbor's a member, too."

Ignoring Slick and the triathelete both, Spark-Tail ran at the Lombre, cheeks crackling as he sprang up and somersaulted in midair, striking down with a glowing Lightning-bolt tail towards his opponent's head. As the Lombre crumpled to the ground with a moan, the Pikachu prepared to finish his foe off with a spinning tail strike.

But then, right as he was about to deal the final blow, the Pikachu caught sight of his target's eyes, and he faltered, his paws shaking as he stared down at his opponent. The Lombre's eyes were terrified, wide with the fear of a cornered animal- just like Leaf-Light, three years ago...


	2. Time Gear Thief

"You crossed through time and shadow, and yet you stand with a resolve undeterred," said the Zangoose as he and the Grovyle sparred. "What is it like, to be older than the first human cities in Kanto, to predate the ancient War of the Legends? Tell me of these ancient times, of Treasure Town shining on the western coast."

The Grovyle grinned as his leaf-blade met the Zangoose's wooden sword. "Treasure Town itself was nothing," said Elias, crouching as he angled his blade under and around the other sword. "No, what made it great were its explorers, teams of Pokemon who wandered the world in search of riches and glory. Some sought gold and silver. Others sought fabled relics of great heroes. Some sought ambrosia, sacred food and drink. But it was their dedication to their quests, no matter how meaningless the rewards, that were great."

Breaking blade contact, the Zangoose stepped back from the Grovyle's upward slice. "At the head of society stood Wigglytuff's Exploration Guild, dedicated to training and funding these adventurers," continued Elias as they circled each other. "Of course, not all teams affilated with the guild, such as Team Retrievers, which made its operations on a crumbling cliff overlooking the shores. But everyone knew that when the Guild thrived, so too did Treasure Town."

The Zangoose swung up at the Grovyle, who just barely deflected the blow. "I think I can relate," said the Zangoose as he stepped past Elias for a slice at the Grovyle's shoulder. "It's like how they say the Swordwrit was, in its prosperous years. So what happened to it?"

Elias flinched as the flat of the blade struck his shoulder. "Well, one day, a creature known as the Master of Darkness attacked Temporal Tower, home to the Master of Time," said the Grovyle, tucking the arm behind his back before continuing. "The resulting backlash of energy was enough to destabilize the planet's orbit, threatening to blanket the world in darkness."

The Zangoose stepped back as Elias advanced with three swift blade-strokes. "Well, one half in chilling darkness, the other half in burning light," amended the Grovyle, striking the Zangoose's arm as well. "And so it would have been, but for two Pokemon, River and Sylvia of Team Storm. With the help of their friends, both those in Team Retrievers and those in the Guild, the duo gathered up five artifacts known as Time Gears and brought them to Temporal Tower, stabilizing it."

"But the world was not yet free from peril. Furious that his scheme was thwarted by mortals, the Master of Darkness collected three more of the artifacts called Time Gears, and summoned from the abyss an army of shadow beasts to invade the world."

"Through the united powers of time and darkness, hundreds of Pokemon were wounded, slain, or cast off into time, never to be seen again. Many of those casualties were close friends of Team Storm. It would be many years before River and Sylvia finally stopped the Master of Darkness for good."

The two Pokemon continued to spar as Elias talked, evenly matched, blocking each other's strikes, circling, moving in and out of each others' range. "You talk about them as if that was a while ago, but they might've found their way to the present day, just like you did," said the Zangoose. "Do you think any of them survived-"

The Zangoose broke off as Elias dealt a flurry of blows from his sword, forcing his opponent back from his rapid blade. "I imagine that anyone who survived to this day would be shocked by what they saw, and would need to adapt or die," said the Grovyle as the tip of his blade touched the Zangoose's throat. "Yield?"

Eyes widening, the Zangoose dropped his sword, watching as Elias too lowered his blade. The two opponents stared at each other, hard, then returned to the center of the clearing, and bowed.


	3. Silence is Golden

Somewhere in mideastern Hoenn, on the edge of the woods, Slicksten Silversky's Pokemon sat around a fire ring by their master's tent. It was a Sunday afternoon, and the team was relaxing while Slick gave private training sessions in a forest clearing nearby. Today's session belonged to Blueflight, Slick's Taillow.

"Aspears, anyone?" offered Rushing River, cross-legged at the forefront of the fire, trying to passing around a basket of plump Asian crystal pears. "C'mon. You gotta eat and put some muscle on those bones, boys!"

Next to the Marshtomp, Shanala rolled her eyes. "And what about me, Rush?" asked the Vulpix quietly, curling up by the fire's warmth, gazing up at him coolly. "Or am I a boy to you?" For a moment, Spark-Tail was reminded of another Vulpix and Mudkip pair, old friends from a much older time...

/~~~ In the past ~~~\

_A Pikachu and an Eevee cheerfully bounded down the road together towards the crossroads, leaving the town market behind them. Both wore Team Retriever neckerchiefs, their leather satchels packed and ready for a day of exploration._

_Up ahead at the crossroads, a Mudkip and a Vulpix were waiting by the watering hole, both carrying explorer bags as well, though their neckerchiefs bore the logos of Team Storm. "Team Retrievers!" called the Vulpix, waving her forepaws to get their attention. "Over here!"_

_"Hiya there, Sylvia!" exclaimed Leaf-Light as she arrived at the Watering Hole, with a panting Spark-Tail following right behind her. Grinning, the Eevee glanced Sylvia up and down, then looked to the Mudkip. "And River too! What're you guys up to?"_

_Wagging his rudder-tail, River grinned at Leaf-Light and Spark-Tail, then filled them in. It was no secret that River and Sylvia, the legendary pair of youths who saved Temporal Tower, were preparing for their final exams at Wigglytuff's Guild. If they passed, Team Storm would earn First-Class Guild Approval status, an extremely prestigious honor amongst explorer teams._

_"Anyway, we'll be moving back to Sharpedo Bluff, once we graduate," said Sylvia with a sly grin. Wagging her tails in the cool breeze, she poked Leaf-Light with a paw. "I guess we'll be neighbors again, eh Leaf-Light? Just like old times. And now we can help each other out!"_

_Yes, just like old times. Except that this time, Sylvia and River would be the stronger exploration team..._

\~~~ Back in the present ~~~/

Things were different now. Seven thousand years later, and a few seasons older, he still could not hope to comprehend what Team Storm had done for the world. Between Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, the world was much larger, deeper, and more complex than he had ever known under human rule.

He didn't like talking to the rest of Slick's Pokemon about his childhood memories. The stories sounded ridiculous when he told them, even in his own head. He'd looked up to River and his extraordinary feats, even though the Mudkip had been much younger than him. But Rush was a different story.

"Aw, come on, Shan, you know what I mean!" chuckled the Marshtomp, prodding the fox's flank and earning him a warning glance from her. "Everybody needs to eat, we've gotta keep our energy up. Chow up, team! You too, Lightning."

Spark-Tail said nothing- he disliked his own voice and avoided talking whenever possible. "Oh for christ's sake, put your shoulders down," yawned Insyte the Umbreon, while Rush pushed the fruit basket over to Shanala, who turned her head away. "We're your teammates, we're not gonna rip out your heart in your sleep."

"Naw man, Lightning just needs to chill out," put in the Lombre, nodding at Spark-Tail. "See, man, he's gotten all filled up with the fightin', and all the eatin', and all the storytellin', and all that stuff, man. He just gotta chillax for a bit, y'know?"

The Vulpix sniffed at the Lombre rather disdainfully. "I think you're high again, Leroy," said Shanala, shaking her head and tails in disapproval. "Don't you ever think you ought to cut back? All that smoke can't be good for your lungs or your hat."

From Leroy's other side, Insyte snorted and pushed the untouched basket over to Spark-Tail. "Rush, you twit, you know none of us like Aspears," snorted the Umbreon, eyes gleaming and rings flashing. His voice dropped into a crude imitation of Rush. "'Okay, pucker up boys! Let's eat antifreeze! What's that? Your tongue's swollen? I can't hear you!'"

Ignoring the berries, Spark-Tail pushed the basket to Shanala, not looking up from the fire. Grinning at Insyte, Rush got up onto one knee and began cracking his knuckles. "Oh, you wanna play like that, eh?" replied the Marshtomp, raising his fists. "You and me, Insyte. I'll take you any day."

/~~~ In the past ~~~\

_"My daddy thinks you'll be able to handle Level C jobs now, since you've evolved and all," giggled Leaf-Light as she and Spark-Tail sat in the shade, across from the Kecleon Market. "Mmhm. Say, did you hear about Sylvia? Well, you'll never guess what happened last night..."_

_Blinking, the Pikachu looked up at her. "Sylvia? You mean that pretty Vulpix who lives next door?" uttered young Spark-Tail. "I- um- I thought she didn't come home last night. Wasn't she at the beach or something...?"_

_"Heehee! Yes, of course she was at the beach again," replied the Eevee cheerfully, poking Spark-Tail with a paw. "But but, see... you remember that huge storm from two nights ago? Well, I guess a little fishy-fish washed up on the shore!"_

_"A... 'fishy-fish'?"_

_"Yeah!" said Leaf-Light excitedly. "So like, she was walking down the beach, and then she sees this cute Mudkip boy lying unconscious on the beach. Apparently his name was River. And he lost his memory or something. But like, that's not all... She said he said he used to be a human!"_

_"What's a human?" asked the Pikachu, confused._

_The Eevee blinked, then shrugged. "I dunno, but I bet it's something cool," giggled Leaf-Light, watching as a Wurmple and a Swellow haggled with one of the Kecleons. ""Anyway, Sylvia and River took to each other really nicely. They even went into Wigglytuff's Guild together!" The Eevee grinned. "I heard they're called Team Storm."_

_"Y-you mean- she's an apprentice now?" blurted out Spark-Tail. Even though he was a full explorer on Ilun's team while Sylvia was just an apprentice, the Pikachu was just a rookie, and the Guild had really good training. "Is Ilun still giving her money for explorations?"_

_"Oh well, you know how Daddy is," said the Eevee, grinning at the Pikachu. "He's gonna be funding some of Team Storm's education and the rest will come out of their earnings. Makes you glad that we get to keep the full rewards, hm?" Leaf-Light paused and glanced towards Kangaskhan Storage thoughtfully. "Anyway, we've got a few minutes before we meet Cory and Daddy at the crossroads, so let's go get supplies."_

\~~~ Back in the present ~~~/

The air grew thick with tension as Rush and Insyte glared at each other from opposite sides of the fire. Then, as Shanala, Spark-Tail, and Leroy stared, both Umbreon and Marshtomp burst into laughter, dispelling the hostility as quickly as it had come.

"So, Lightning, got any more stories from the 'ancient past'?" snickered Insyte as he settled down by the fire, curling his lip at the Pikachu as Rush grabbed an Aspear from the basket. "Tell us about your friends from, uh, 'Treasure Town!' I need a good laugh."

Spark-Tail signed inwardly, wishing he'd never told anyone where he came from. On top of that, he particularly hated talking about how was he supposed to explain that a freak wormhole in time and space appeared out of nowhere and swallowed him up, then deposited him in the future? Even he didn't really believe what happened to himself. He certainly didn't want to believe it.

"Come on, let's hear some of your stories again!" called Insyte, slapping the ground with a paw and startling Spark-Tail out of his thoughts. "That last one about the big fat Wiggly who punched a hole in a wall, that was a really good one. Tell us more about that one place, 'Carvanha Cliff!'"

"Whoa whoa man, it's 'Sharpedo Bluff', not 'Carvanha Cliff', and his real name is 'Spark-tail'," laughed Rush, giving Insyte a friendly punch in the flank and grinning at Spark-Tail with mirth. "Get it right, dude!"

"Oh yeah, right," chuckled Insyte, curling up by the fire and grinning at the Pikachu. "Yeah, talk about 'Sharpedo Bluff', Sparkle boy! Talk about the big cliff that looks EXACTLY like a shark!"

The Pikachu looked away and glared down at the grass, fuming silently. Insyte and Rush were the last two people in the world Spark-Tail wanted to talk to. Thinking about the cliff brought back too many painful memories; it reminded him of River, Sylvia, and- most painfully of all- Leaf-Light.

He was on the verge of getting up and walking away when Shanala prodded him gently with a tail, beckoning him to stay. "I'd like to hear about Team Retrievers too," said the Vulpix quietly, giving the Pikachu an encouraging smile as she lay down beside the campfire, her eyes soft and warm.

Well, that was it, there was no fleeing now. Spark-Tail glanced around the fire, looking to Rush's and Insyte's grins, then glancing back to Shanala- and back again. "W-well, um... there was once a Linoone- named Ilun," began the Pikachu, staring at the ground, hard. "And, well- he was sort of the leader of Team Retrievers."

Insyte was already sniggering. Ugh, he wished he could wipe that snide grin right off the Umbreon's face! But then again, he knew it must be a pain to listen to him, awkward pauses and all. "Ilun? That's a nice name," said Shanala, nodding to Spark-Tail, beckoning him to continue. "Was he a nice guy?"

"Y-yeah, he was pretty nice," said the Pikachu, growing annoyed with his own voice. No smal wonder why Insyte and Rush made fun of him. "Anyway... uh... He had a wife and- well- and a daughter." Spark-Tail trailed off for a moment, then added quietly, "I was- well- friends with the daughter. They all lived at Sharpedo Bluff, see- and they... sort of... took me in."

"Oh, I'm sure they did," chortled Rush as Insyte snickered with laughter. "What, did you all live in the fin or something?"

"Ugh, ignore them," sighed Shanala, waving them both aside with her tails before Spark-Tail could reply, then smiling up at the Pikachu again. "Anyway... that was very nice of them to do that. What were their names? Tell me more about them."

Spark-Tail hesitated. He didn't want to talk, and he really didn't want to think about the past, but... then again... if the Vulpix wanted to know, then maybe it was okay to talk about it. "Well- there's a lot of caves in the cliff, so they had plenty of room for me," he said. "Umm, well- I never met Ilun's mate, but... her name was Laurel. And... the daughter was called... Leaf-Light."

/~~~ In the past ~~~\

_At Sharpedo Bluff, in a spacious cavern within the stone shark's makeshift gills, where enclosing stone walls protected the inhabitants from the elements, six Pokemon sat in a huddle around a campfire, mourning the disappearance of their dear friends, River and Sylvia._

_As the warmth of the fire gently Leaf-Light huddled up close to her father and leader Ilun, who placed a comforting paw on the Eevee's shoulder. Beside the Pikachu sat Ilun's partner, Cory the Lucario; and between Cory and Leaf-Light sat the fire-tender, Vulcan the Quilava. They, too missed Team Storm with all their hearts._

_It wasn't just that Ilun had been paying for Team Storm's training at Wiggyltuff's Guild, no. River and Sylvia had an innocence like no other. Growing up in Sharpedo Bluff's mouth-cavern, Sylvia had been like a sister to Leaf-Light, and Ilun had been the father that Sylvia never had._

_They didn't know River as well; Sylvia found River on the night she moved out of Sharpedo Bluff. But River always seemed confident and hopeful. Spark-Tail really liked and admired that, though he was always too shy to talk to the Mudkip._

_Cory thought vaguely that Ilun had never looked so sad, not since the day that Laurel passed away._

\~~~ Back in the present ~~~/

Spark-Tail trailed off as Insyte yawned loudly. "So you heard that she heard that someone heard that Riverboy said that he was a human?" snorted the Umbreon, sneering at the Pikachu from across the fire. "I swear, Sparkle boy, your stories have gotten fucking stupider, if that's possible"

"Hey, watch the language," warned Rush sharply, swatting Insyte's flank. "There's a lady present." Next to Spark-Tail, Shanala rolled her eyes while Insyte shot the Marshtomp a poisonous glare, but said nothing. "Now Lightning, m'boy, when are you going to show up this 'Leaf-Light' friend of yours?"

Rush didn't believe in Leaf-Light. None of them believed Spark-Tail's stories, really, not even Shanala, though she was nice and tried to pretend that she did. And the Pikachu had to admit to himself- reluctantly- that he wouldn't believe his own stories if he heard them.

And so, late that night, the Pikachu lay in his Poke Ball, clutching his volt charm and staring into its crackling depths, thinking about Leaf-Light and wondering what the coming days would bring.


	4. Way of the Sword

"You've been doing good, Lightning, but your tail attacks are getting sloppy," said Slick, squatting down beside Spark-Tail in the sunlit forest clearing. His mouse-heart humming, the Pikachu stared down at the bread knife placed before him, alone in the woods save for his trainer. "Today, let's work on tejust like I taught you. Now stand!"

With an obedient 'Pika!', Spark-Tail got up onto his hindpaws and snatched up the bread knife, stepping into front posture- one foot forward, right paw grasping the knife near the blade and left paw at the handle's base. "Hold position," ordered Slick, and Spark-Tail obeyed, his muscles straining against the weight of the breadknife. "Five, four, three, two, one; good job."

Lowering the bread knife, Spark-Tail relaxed and took a moment to catch his breath before Slick continued again. "Now... lift!" Instantly he shifted back into posture, holding the blade by his cheek. "Five, four, three, two, one; and back down."

They repeated the exercise three more times before Slick moved onto the next stage. "Now as I taught you, lift- step forward and slash down!" ordered the trainer. Blade level with his eyes, the Pikachu strode forward and slashed down, simultaneously dropping to one knee, before stepping back to front stance. "Again."

Forward, slash-down, up, back. The rodent's fur grew damp with sweat in the afternoon sunlight as Slick led him through the standard swordsmanship drills. Tiny blue sparks crackled down the bread knife's length from Spark-Tail's paws as he practiced down slashes, side slashes, high slashes, cross blows, thrusts, lunges, and dodges- executing each technique just as his trainer had taught him.

"Okay, Lightning, I'll leave you to do some private training," said Slick finally, rising to his feet and turning to leave the clearing. "Don't wander off, okay? Just give me a shout if you need me!"

Taking a deep breath as his trainer strode off into the trees, Spark-Tail smoothed down his sweat-slicked fur and raised the bread knife to eye level again. Pressing the cool metal blade to the side of his head, just above his crackling red cheek, the Pikachu stepped forward with a slash, then back again. Step forward, slash, step back; step forward, slash, step back.

As the minutes drew on, and his paws grew sweaty on the bread knife's handle, Spark-Tail tried to imagine that he was fighting a real enemy. Conjuring up a mental image of Insyte, the Pikachu stepped forward, and slashed an X into the imaginary Umbreon's chest before stepping back. Stepping forward again, he whirled around as he slashed, slicing off each of the pretend Insyte's legs before retreating into stance.

"As always, you're putting too much force into the blade," commented a calm voice, startling Spark-Tail into dropping the bread knife. "Let the knife do the work, my friend. Don't waste your emotions on a sword- they don't have any."

Blinking, the Pikachu glanced up to the tree-tops, recognizing the voice. "Elias?" called Spark-Tail hesitantly. Chuckling, a Grovyle with a tightly woven leaf blade on his back dropped from a high tree branch and landed in the clearing, sending Spark-Tail jumping back. "Agh! Why do you always do that?"

/~~~ In the past ~~~\

_Stumbling through the desert, his throat parched and his eyes burning from the searing heat and the harsh sweeping winds. Everywhere was hot and dry, the earth baked and hardened into clay. But he and Leaf-Light had to keep going. Because of Team Storm, River and Sylvia, and the warning they had brought home. Because Ilun had promised Team Storm that Team Retrievers would help save Temporal Tower. Little Spark-Tail had to do his part to help his friends, had to help find the Time Gears. But he couldn't go on. His head throbbed with every step._

_A pair of eyes gazed through the cruel haze. A green hand reached out for him, pulled him into a craggy alcove where the desert's wrath could not touch him. Blinking, the Pikachu stared up at the hand, stared up at the eyes that he had feared until River came home, and told the world that the Time Gear Thief had been trying to save the world all along._

_He lay still in the shade on the sand, gasping for breath, barely able to understand everything that was going on around him. Beside him lay Leaf-Light, just as exhausted, just as thirsty. Together the two children stared up at Elias as the Grovyle gently pressed waterskeins to their lips. "We can rest here," said Elias, his eyes kind but firm. "Let me know when you can continue."_

\~~~ Back in the present ~~~/

As always, Spark-Tail felt nervous standing in front of Elias, as if he was in the prescence of a legend. And he really was looking at a legend, after all- Elias helped save the world seven thousand years ago, along with Team Storm.

Elias began to pad in a circle around Spark-Tail, gazing up towards the sunlit sky. "It's been three weeks since we last met, I believe," said the Grovyle, watching as the Pikachu reached down to pick up Slick's bread knife. "Status report. How are your teammates? They're all healthy and well, I trust?"

The Pikachu didn't reply immediately. No, he didn't get along with his teammates. But then again, Spark-Tail found himself annoying sometimes and hated it, so any flak from Insyte or Rush seemed pretty reasonable. He pondered over that for a while, until he realized he was overthinking his answer, and Elias had been watching him for a few minutes now. "Oh- um- yeah, they're fine," said Spark-Tail quickly. "Sorry."

Elias studied him for a moment, half-intrigued yet half-amused. "At least Lane talks to his allies, every now and then," said the Grovyle, continuing to circle the clearing. "You've spent all hours of the day with these Pokemon for how many months ago, and you still aren't comfortable around them?"

Spark-Tail didn't know what to say. It was almost impossible for him to hide his thoughts; Elias always seemed to know what was in his head. "I- um... sorry." It felt silly to apologize, but he didn't want the Grovle to get mad at him just because he preferred the sidelines.

"No, no- don't apologize to me," said Elias, turning to face the Pikachu, his arms crossed. The Grovyle stood illuminated in sunlight as Spark-Tail stared at him. "Listen... I know you miss your old life, and Team Storm. But you've got to move on with your life, and make the best of what you have now. Just as my other pupils have."

The Grovyle's words rang a bell. "Wherever, however, whyever you go in life, always look to the road ahead," Ilun had always said. "Because no matter what, the road behind you is one that you won't be traveling again."

Sighing, the Pikachu sat down against a stump, the bread knife resting across his lap. Elias was right, he did miss his old friends. River, Sylvia, Fluff, Vulcan, Shaymin, Sir Tane, Leaf-Light... what happened to them all? What sort of adventures did they go on? He hadn't seen any of them a long time, just like human boys and girls parted ways with their friends from kindergarten.

And there were things that sounded very simple back in the past, which now seemed very complex and unlikely. He remembered the Time Gears, remembered the announcement in Treasure Town when Team Storm returned, but he'd never really wondered about the entire incident until after he'd landed in the present era. What exactly was Temporal Tower, anyway? Why did it almost collapse? How could River be from the same world as Elias? He might never know the answers.

"Spark-Tail, did you get all that?" Silently cursing himself for letting his mind wander, the Pikachu quickly glanced up at Elias. "Listen- this is part of the problem," sighed the Grovyle. "You get displaced from the present moment too easily, Spark-Tail. You need to learn to stay in the here and now. River was alone and helpless, but he searched for new friends, and found an invaluable partner in Sylvia. You, on the other hand, have new friends readily available, but you're not reaching out to them."

"I don't want new friends," muttered the Pikachu. Forget the seven thousand years that he'd missed; the whole incident still felt like it was just a year ago. He knew down inside what he was about to say might sound very stupid and childish, but he didn't know what else to say. "Leaf-Light- she's still alive. I remember her... I talked to her. I want Leaf-Light. I don't want Insyte or Rush or any of Slick's Pokemon..."

Elias gave him a stern look that made him recoil. "Your allies may be rough, but they have good intentions at heart," replied the Grovyle, rising to his feet. "Slick feeds you; he clothes you; he shelters you; he teaches you. Don't you understand what your trainer does for you?"

Keeping his eyes down, Spark-Tail regretted saying anything, and didn't answer. "People want to talk to you; but you don't answer them. Instead you retreat. You don't say a thing to them, and when you talk, you're so reluctant to communicate that no one can hear you."

"Now listen- there's a difference between domestic Pokemon and wild Pokemon," continued Elias. "Domestic Pokemon eventually forget what it was like to be in the wild... but a wild Pokemon never forgets what it was like to be domestic. In your heart... are you truly wild?"

Spark-Tail flinched; the Grovyle was almost always right. Elias padded over to the edge of the clearing, then stopped. Drawing his leaf blade, he whirled around to face the Pikachu, slipping back into stance. Spark-Tail had learned a while ago that Elias' sword was much sturdier than it appeared, and was not easily slashed apart. "Now stand, pick up that bread knife, and let's spar."

A few minutes later, Elias padded off into the woods with a barely-nicked leafblade, victorious, leaving a beaten and exhausted- but otherwise uninjured- Pikachu to wait in the clearing for Slick's return.


	5. Adapt or Die

Domestic Pokemon. Wild Pokemon. The Grovyle's words left a mark on Spark-Tail, though the Pikachu wouldn't understand just how much Elias influenced him until later on. In the coming days, the Grovyle's words would begin to shape young Spark-Tail's life, tugging him out from the curtains of adolescence and bringing him into the real world.

Six months passed. Slowly, Spark-Tail became a stronger warrior under Slick's tutelage. At a simple command from his trainer, the Pikachu was able to execute one of twelve different sword combinations. He began to hold out against Elias longer, though the Grovyle would always prevail without leaving a scratch on the Pikachu. "Well, it takes more skill to score a bloodless victory than to simply batter down your foe's will," Shanala would tell Spark-Tail when discussing the sparring matches afterwards.

Of course, Slick would put his entire team through regular training sessions as well. "Remember, Hoenn's not like Kanto or Johto," Insyte would translate while Slick strode back and forth in front of his Pokemon. "The forests are very dense, the roads are narrower, and the Pokemon are not as afraid of humans. No more jumping out of your capsules early, all right? We can't afford to be ambushed!"

Throughout this time, Elias continued to lecture him on the importance of bonding with his teammates. He would take Slick's team-wide lessons on double battle strategies and discuss them in a metaphorical, philosophical way that Spark-Tail always lost track of. "Thus, when Shanala uses Sunny Day, the sun's light purifies Leroy of ill substances and awakens his true potential, allowing him to unleash that instant SolarBeam," the Grovyle would say. "Well? Were you listening?"

As time went on, and the Pikachu grew older, he began to believe what the others said. Part of him began to feel as if it really all was a dream, that his childhoold memories had never happened, and he'd just imagined them all. He hadn't known Elias all that well until arriving in the present, after all. He answered to Lightning as readily as Spark-Tail. Leaf-Light, Ilun, and Team Retrievers faded into his memories.

The team experienced several lineup changes. Insyte was temporarily switched out with a Geodude when Slick went spelunking once. Lightning himself was changed out for a Manectric on three or four occasions. Shanala was swapped with various Pokemon, but ended up returning each time. Blueflight was switched out with a Wingull twice, who replaced Blueflight permanently after evolving into a Pelipper.

After several of these switchouts, he came to realize that Slick did find him useful to some degree, or he wouldn't keep returning to the team. "Remember, everyone- we're a team!" said Rush, just before Slick's battle with Flannery. The Pikachu rolled his eyes then, but felt stupid when Insyte's Confuse Ray, the Pelipper's Rain Dance, Leroy's Rain Dish, and Rush's Surf resulted in a 6-0 win, earning Slick the Heat Badge.

The Pikachu was still a little reluctant to mingle with his teammates, and so he kept quiet on those nights when the entire team gathered around the fire. But as he grew, he became used to Insyte and Rush. The two veterans left him alone for the most part, these days, now that he'd stopped drawing attention to himself. If anything kept Lightning silent now, it wasn't fear of his teammates- it was the comfortable distance.

Elias was less than pleased to hear this last thought. But it was too late. The Pikachu was slowly accepting his new role. And so, Lightning continued to train under Slick, the past all but forgotten, until one day...


	6. The Light Ball

As Slick and his Pokemon camped on the banks of the East Mauville River, Lightning found himself sitting in the shade of a tree, alone except for wild tangles of jungle grasses. A little ways off, Insyte and Rush were off bickering with each other as usual, while Shanala curled up on a rock and fell asleep.

Leaving Rush, Insyte, Shanala, and Lightning to rest up after a particularly tough training session last night, Slick had gone out fishing with Leroy and the Pelipper earlier in the morning. From Rush's and Insyte's comments, Lightning gathered that Slick was after an extremely rare but ugly brown fish, which that lived only in this stretch of the river.

From between the tree's roots, the Pikachu watched the scenery idly with a yawn, relaxing in the cool breeze of the forest. It was nice to kick back and relax every now and then, watching time float by, alone with his thoughts.

_/~~~ In the past ~~~\_

_From the trailhead, Spark-Tail, Leaf-Light, and an Absol stared up towards the mountain ahead, their Team Retriever neckerchiefs blowing in the wind. Dry chapparal plants lined the arid mountain-slopes as the hot sun beat down on their backs, and they shielded their eyes with their paws._

_It'd been four months since the red light in the skies. A crying Sylvia had returned to town alone- without Elias, without Ilun, and without River. Bit by bit, piece by piece, she shared the harrowing tale of her journey. And so the town had mourned their lost heroes, until two weeks ago- when River turned up on the beach._

_Spark-Tail still remembered the shock when he and Leaf-Light heard about Ilun's death. The old Linoone had died like a hero, taking a fatal blow so that River and Sylvia could fulfill their duty. But still he didn't understand why Ilun had to die. And anything that Spark-Tail was feeling, it must be twice as horrible for Leaf-Light._

_With both his wife Laurel and his partner Cory dead, Ilun had left his entire estate to Leaf-Light, who would inherit Team Retrievers when she became of age. In the meantime, Sir Tane would manage it in her stead. But the Eevee didn't care. She just wanted her father back._

_"Welll, well, this is it," said the Absol, turning back around to face the trio, reaching into his bag to pull out the job description. "All right, let's review. We're searching for a Nidorino, last spotted somewhere on this mountain. The reward appears to be a volt charm." Smiling grimly, he nodded to each of them. "Let's do this, Team Retrievers!"_

_\~~~ Back in the present ~~~/_

The Pikachu glanced down to the volt charm next to him. It had been months since he last looked at the golden orb, let alone took it out of his Poke Ball. And now here he was, somewhere on Route 119, holding this mysterious sphere.

Why was it so special, again? Oh right, it'd been the reward of his last mission. Or was that just something he'd made up? He rubbed his face, feeling annoyed that he couldn't remember what actually happened and what was a dream.

"Now just what've you been hiding, mouse boy?" hissed a voice from behind him. Lightning froze as Insyte and Rush emerged from behind the tree. How long had they been there, watching him? Insyte squinted at the Pikachu's volt charm. "Look at that, Rush. Someone thinks he needs a little boost to his bolt! Where'd you get that Light Ball?"

Trying hard not to move, Lightning found himself at a loss for words as usual. Did Insyte mean the volt charm? What was he holding, anyway? He'd never really figured out what the volt charm was, or what it was supposed to do.

Rush gave Insyte's flank a friendly punch. "Oh calm down, Darky," chuckled the Marshtomp, cracking his knuckles and resting back on his haunches. "Maybe it was a gift from Slick or something. For his sparkly ninja."

Insyte gave him a half-lidded, disdainful look. "Yeah, because you can see this in any damn market stall, in any house, on the damn ground, maybe there's one up your butt," snorted the Umbreon cuttingly. "Have you any idea how rare these things are?" He turned back to Lightning. "Now where. Did. You. Get. That?"

The Pikachu didn't even know what the right answer was. Was the volt charm... or the light ball... really his reward for his last mission? Or did he just make that up? "Uhh, um, I stole it," said Lightning finally.

Insyte blinked. "Whoa there, Lightning," laughed Rush, sitting back on his haunches to get a good look at the ball in the Pikachu's paw. "Are you saying you're a thief? That's kind of shady, don'tcha think? But hey, that's cool, I guess!"

Lightning stared at the Marshtomp, confused.

"Shut up, Rush, he's just messing with you," said Insyte, shoving the Marshtomp aside, eyes narrowed. Lightning felt a nervous prickle as Insyte circled him, examining the volt charm closely. "All right, very funny, kid," said the Umbreon, with a bit less ire than usual. "Now where'd you really get it?"

"The Vol... the Light Ball?" said Lightning, trying not to sound nervous as Insyte stared at him. Maybe a half-truth was more convincing than a lie, assuming it had actually happened. "Um... a Chikorita gave it to me." He'd almost called it a volt charm. Light Ball, he corrected himself mentally.

But Insyte had caught the correction, and the Umbreon's eyes narrowed, as if suspecting something. "Haha! Who's the Chikorita, eh?" chuckled Rush, giving the Pikachu a friendly punch that made him wince. "Whoops. Anyway, she your girlfriend or something?"

At that moment, there was a distant shout from the river. All three of them glanced up sharply to see Slick fallling off Leroy's back and into the water, while the Pelipper overhead began cawing panickedly. "Well, I'd better go check up on our master," said the Marshtomp, glancing to Insyte and Lightning with a grin before bounding off. "See ya!"

Lightning stared as Rush sprang into the river and swam off towards the coughing, spluttering trainer with expert lifeguard skills. Then Insyte swatted his shoulder with a tail, yanking his attention back.

"All right, let me see that," said the Umbreon, snatching the Light Ball from him with a paw before the Pikachu could protest. "Quiet, I'll give it back. It's useless to me anyway."

Lightning stared as Insyte examined the Light Ball carefully in detail. What was the Umbreon so fascinated about, anyway? Was it just because it was something rare? Either way, the Pikachu really hoped he'd get it back.

"Shush," muttered Insyte as he began turning the sphere over, tapping it with his tail, the golden rings on his body glowing faintly in the tree's shade. "I'm concentrating."

Meanwhile in the distance, Rush and Leroy helped a drenched Slick to wade out of the river and onto the sunlit bank to dry. "Fifteen spots down, over fifty more to go," said the Pelipper as he dove down to retrieve his trainer's fishing pole.

The Umbreon was muttering words under his breath now, his forehead pressed to the amber crystalline surface. Slowly, the light ball began to glow with a faint mist of sparks within the sphere, rippling like electricity.

There was a pop of static, and Insyte jerked his head back, wide-eyed. "Son of a bitch."

Uh-oh. Was it his fault? "Ah, uh, sorry about that," said Lightning hastily, retrieving his light ball. He glanced nervously to the Umbreon, whose fur was now set on end with static charge. "Uh... what happened?"

Scowling, Insyte tried to smooth down his tingling fur, but without success. "Whatever, not your fault," said the Umbreon, pulling himself into an upright position. "Ugh, I can't believe this. All right, listen... Spark-Tail, was it? What do you know about your light ball, anyway?"

Did Insyte just call him Spark-Tail? Not Lightning, but Spark-Tail. His old name. "Um... I don't know anything about it," admitted the Pikachu, glancing down. "I think it... might be precious. And that I think I sometimes see electricity in there."

The Umbreon sighed. "Right... does the phrase 'Spear Pillar' mean anything to you?" asked Insyte, studying the Pikachu carefully. Lightning shook his head. "No? Everyone knows what it is. Hmph. What about... Temporal Tower?" Shocked, the Pikachu stared at the Umbreon. That was just his imagination, right? Was Insyte saying it was a real place?

"All right, let's start somewhere simpler," sighed the Umbreon, closing his eyes. "Stupid annoying prick. Okay, let's see... Right. You know those stories you told? About like, Money City and Garchomp Rock, or whatever it was called? What was the team leader's name?"

There was something in Insyte's voice that made Lightning afraid; he wanted to run away and stay perfectly still at the same time. "The... the stories that I, uh... told when I first joined?" said the Pikachu slowly. "Um... his name was... Ilun."

The Umbreon began to pace around him again. "Oh, damn everything! I don't know how to say this," grumbled Insyte, his tail swishing at the ground. "Yeah, uh... they might've been more than just stories. They might even be real. I don't know yet..."

"Huh?!" The Pikachu was thunderstruck. Where did that come from? If they had been memories, they felt blurred and filtered now, like a distant dream. He probably didn't even tell the stories right. And how could Insyte possibly know if they were true? "But-"

The Umbreon shoved him back against the tree and held him there. "Don't gloat over this," growled Insyte, his eyes narrowed. "I really thought you were just making up jack and got all your stuff out of a history book, because all the facts match up way too well. But screw it, you probably can't read anyway." And he was right.

The Pikachu gasped as the Umbreon released him, sinking to the ground. "The Spear Pillar is what's left of a place that was called Temporal Tower," said the Umbreon, pacing back and forth. "Humans said it nearly got destroyed almost seven thousand years ago. Which matches up with your stories."

"And I've never heard of Treasure Town, but it's probably the Canaan Ruins, west of Olivine." The Umbreon then added a description of the ruins and the surrounding geographic features, and it did sound a little like the town from the Pikachu's stories... or his memories. "Most of them laughed at your stories because you're a young brat. I laughed because there's no Sharpedo-shaped cliff. But hey, maybe the cliff got wrecked between then and now."

Lightning shifted uncomfortably. The stories seemed so bizzare, so fantastic, so impossible to him now; how could they be real? And now Insyte, of all Pokemon, was telling him that the stories truly were memories. "But... I really was a little kid back then. Maybe I did imagine it all...?"

Insyte rolled his eyes. "No, stupid, it all happened, and here's the proof," said the Umbreon, flicking at the light ball again with his tail. "See, Spark-Tail, your light ball's not like a modern one. It's heavier, but a little smaller." He smirked at the Pikachu's confusion. "As for Ilun... there's historical evidence that Team Retrievers exists."

Ignoring the jibe, the Pikachu looked at his light ball, thinking. "How does a... a light ball work?" asked Lightning after a moment. "I've never heard of them. And... well... how do you even know this isn't... erm... a modern one?"

Insyte yawned. "They're common among your kind, these days, but I suppose you wouldn't know that," said the Umbreon, snickering. "Slick once gave me a mythology book to read, after he found out I could read. Ancient Civilizations 452..." He trailed off. "So yeah, anyway. Looks like your stories hold up, I guess."

There was quite a bit for the Pikachu to absorb. It was strange to hear Insyte say that the stories were real, just when Spark-Tail had started to accept the stories had been his imagination. Sitting down in the grass next to the Umbreon, he watched Slick and the others, thinking about Team Retrievers again.

The others all treated him like a little kid, he kept thinking of himself as a little kid; but now he was several thousand years old. A year was a long period of time for him to wrap his head around, let alone a thousand. He looked around the forest clearing, to the river, to the trees, to the grass. The past didn't feel real.

At that moment, Insyte gave a groan and looked hard at Spark-Tail. "Ugh, what is it?" said the Umbreon irritably. "You're not happy? I said I was wrong, you were right. What more do you want?"

Startled, the Pikachu quickly shook his head. "No, it's- it's... something else," said Spark-Tail weakly, staring off into the distance. " Well... I didn't really think about it too much... I mean, it feels strange... and... I guess I thought I knew everything back then. But... now that I think back, well... the past was pretty scary."

"You have no idea," replied Insyte bitterly, looking away.

Spark-Tail didn't understand what the Umbreon meant, but shook the thought aside. Taking a deep breath, the Pikachu stared into the depths of his light ball, muttering to himself. "But also... if I wasn't imagining all that, then... was Leaf-Light real, too?"

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
